1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hole impression printing devices, and more particularly to stamp devices employing a heat sensitive stencil paper which can print images by receiving pressure which causes ink to flow through holes which form a stencil pattern in the stencil paper.
2. Description of Related Art
A compact portable stamp device which employs stencil paper having a perforated pattern of characters, figures, etc. formed by using a pencil or a ball-point pen is known. For example, FIG. 8 shows a stamp device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,053. The construction of the stamp device will be explained with reference to FIG. 8.
The stamp device includes a table 100, a bottle grip 101, an inking unit 102, a compression spring 103 and a syphon tube 105. The bottle grip 101 is flexible and is used like a squeeze bottle. That is, the inside of bottle grip 101 is hollow with liquid ink stored therein.
Compression spring 103 is disposed between bottle grip 101 and table 100. Compression spring 103 presses bottle grip 101 and table 100 so as to part them from each other. Therefore, inking unit 102 connected to bottle grip 101 is usually arranged within the confines of table 100. Therefore, even if table 100 is placed on a medium to be printed, such as ordinary plain paper, the medium does not receive a printing image.
Table 100 is made from a metal plate, such as aluminum so as to be easily cleaned. The four sides of the metal plate are bent downwardly so that the lower side of table 100 is open. An aperture is formed at the center of the upper side of table 100. Bottle grip 101 and the inking unit 102 are connected to each other through the aperture.
An ink pad is disposed inside of inking unit 102, such that the liquid ink stored in bottle grip 101 will be supplied to the ink pad. A stencil paper 104 having a perforation pattern of characters, figures, etc. formed by using a pencil, a ball-point pen or other pointed instruments is detachably arranged under the ink pad.
Syphon tube 105 is provided in bottle grip 101 and supplies the ink stored in bottle grip 101 to the ink pad of inking unit 102.
Next, the operation of the stamp device will be explained with reference to FIG. 8. In the stamp device, a user draws characters, figures, etc. on stencil paper 104 by using a pencil or a ball-point pen. Stencil paper 104 is then perforated based on the drawn pattern. Next, the user installs stencil paper 104 under inking unit 102 and places the stamp device on a medium to be printed, such as an ordinary paper. The user grasps bottle grip 101 and pushes it downward. This causes inking unit 102 to descend against the bias of compression spring 103, so that inking unit 102 is pressed against the ordinary paper through stencil paper 104. Ink from the ink pad of inking unit 102 then passes through the perforations of stencil paper 104 so that the ordinary paper is printed with the ink in the pattern formed on stencil paper 104. If the user stops pressing down on bottle grip 101, the stamp device returns to the former state by expansion of compression spring 103 so that inking unit 102 parts from the ordinary paper, completing the printing operation.
If after a plurality of print operations, the ink of the ink pad is depleted, the user firmly grips and squeezes flexible bottle grip 101. This causes the ink in bottle grip 101 to pass through syphon tube 105 and be supplied to the ink pad of inking unit 102.
In the stamp device described above, the printing operation is executed after a stencil paper having a perforation pattern of characters, figures, etc. drawn by using a pencil or a ball-point pen is placed under inking unit 102. Therefore, it is difficult for a user to confirm the position of the perforation pattern contained on the stencil paper relative to table 100. Consequently, there is a problem in that it is difficult for the user to accurately print at a desired position on the medium to be printed.